Even as inflation cools, housing costs for most Americans remain at unsustainable levels. Historically, manufactured homes have been a critical part of the affordable housing landscape, serving low- and moderate-income Americans and in communities where other affordable homes are often unavailable.

Can empty office buildings help provide a solution to the nation's affordable housing crisis? Policy and real estate leaders across the country – from California to New York City – are looking with interest at ways to encourage the conversion of offices to homes just as downtown districts are struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even when financial and structural factors line up to streamline the conversion of office buildings to multifamily housing, a tangle of local regulatory and market factors can often stand in the way.

Enterprise, California Department of Housing and Community Development, and Wells Fargo are bringing together 200 local and state stakeholders for “A Common Cause: Unlocking Homekey.”

Research reveals that 395 affordable housing developments are in various predevelopment stages but $7.6 billion in public financing is needed to move the 32,944 affordable homes forward.

On her first day in office, new Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a state of emergency on homelessness and days later launched “Inside Safe” to move people from tent encampments to housing. Jimar Wilson, Enterprise’s vice president and market leader for Southern California, finds this swift action and renewed investment encouraging. Still, he recognizes there are no quick or easy fixes to his hometown’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis. 

Tonya Plummer, Director of Native American Housing Programs at Enterprise, asked senators to do more to support rural and tribal housing programs.